Beauty & the Jurist

"Mess" to "Model" Contest

2011-11-01T12:44:00.000-05:00

Check out the contest going on over at my photography blog:

http://www.v-photography.com/blog/

Help me help you; nominate someone!

Friends for Dinner

2011-06-06T13:43:00.000-05:00

This little girl loves Dinosaurs. In one of her favorite dino movies a carnivore sings to a group of herbivores a song called Friends for Dinner as he picks plants for his herbivore friends to eat.

Brooklyn prances around picking weeds and plants alike (much to my dismay) and sings this song.

Someday I'll show you the series of pictures leading up to her serious face. It is pretty great.

She is so helpful and loves to put her own shoes on.

What a sport.

Easter Pictures

2011-05-31T16:01:00.001-05:00

The children.

Easter

2011-05-31T16:01:00.000-05:00

We did our annual follow the rabbit poop trail to your Easter basket again this her. It was just as fun as it was last year!

Attack of the Killer Shark-tooth!

2011-05-25T17:14:00.000-05:00

Behind those big blue eyes is a developing imagination.

One that is taking her to far away lands. She visits giant castles, bottomless oceans filled with dolphins and starfish, grandma and grandpa's house to get a surprise and a snack, and then back to the giant castle all in one sitting.

Because her imagination is budding she is developing fears. She is scared of the dark, scary monsters, and shark-tooths hiding deep in the closets.

Solids

2011-05-25T17:13:00.000-05:00

He only kind of likes them, sometimes.

Unannounced

2011-05-24T14:23:00.000-05:00

If you showed up to our house unannounced, the chances of you being greeted by something like this are PRETTY high.

I love my rosy cheeked, seven layered, free spirited, hoarding, red headed cowgirl.

Won't You Be My Neighbor

2011-05-15T22:58:00.000-05:00

This is my 5 star neighbor, Lori. You know, the kind that is so perfect that you almost hate her but you cant because she is so great? That's her!

Josie

2011-05-15T22:57:00.000-05:00

I have already forgotten how small newborns are. I picked little Josie up and was amazed at how fragile and delicate she was. Korbin is almost 7 months now and is already 20 lbs!

Roxy

2011-05-15T22:56:00.000-05:00

I. Love. Pregnant. Women. I seriously do. If I could walk around being 6 months pregnant and barefoot my whole life, I would.

This is a friend from high school. I was SO glad when she asked me to take some pictures of beautiful belly.

Flowers

2011-05-10T23:08:00.000-05:00

I've done a couple of photo shoots for a friend with a baby accessory company. After the 4th shoot I think we finally got some winners! Aren't these girls adorable? You can check out her stuff here.

One Year Older and TOTALLY Wiser Too

2011-05-10T00:09:00.000-05:00

I'm almost certain that my BODACIOUS BABE of a 2 year old enjoyed my birthday just as much as I did.

She helped me make some delicious lemon cupcakes.They were totally DOPE. She kept sneaking frosting in her mouth as we were finishing the cupcakes thinking she was all SLY. She looked up at me ever 2 seconds to read my facial expression and to see if I noticed.

She also helped her DUDE of a dad make my special birthday ice cream cake. It's a good thing she was there because I'm not sure how we'da cleaned off all of the hot fudge from the spatulas!

Later that evening my friend Brit threw a LEGIT 80's themed birthday party for me.

FOR SURE I made everyone dress up. When they walked in the door they had be sure and take a RADICAL yearbook picture.

Here is the "Cutest Couple."

We played some a ROCKIN' 80's matching game and a FRESH 80's hits game.

I made everyone play pin the tail on the donkey. It was totally BOGUS that I didn't win.

The prizes were AWESOME and the decor TOTALLY ROCKED!

And we enjoyed some awesome ice cream cake made by my HOMEBOY.

Truhb-uhl

2011-05-02T22:12:00.000-05:00

Trou-ble; to disturb the mental calm and contentment of; worry;distress; agitate.

"Momma, Brooklyn is in trouble?"

I explained to her that she was in trouble. It is never okay to lock yourself in your parents room, with a brand new bottle of deep conditioner, while your mom has a client in the house.

Cats are soft enough and don't need to be covered in a re-constructor to restore protein, moisture, strength, and shine. Their tongue takes care of that.

It's not acceptable to destroy momma's rug by taking out the scraps of fabric that are intricately woven throughout the rug so that your baby doll can have a blanket.

It is not permissible for you to pull down the slats on the blinds. I understand it would look better with them down but I can't find curtains that I LOVE yet.

And no, Brooklyn, it does not make me happy when you test the force of gravity with your brother's ceramic giraffe. No matter how softly you push it off the table, and not matter how many fingers you push it with, it will fall resulting in a broken giraffe.

All Aboard!

2011-05-02T12:21:00.002-05:00

"Momma, we gonna ride on the potty train?"

That is what Brooklyn would ask me throughout the crazy time consuming and challenging process of potty training.

I tried giving her all of the drinks you could imagine. The only one that she wanted continuously was chocolate milk. She LOVED to help me squirt the Hershey's syrup in her sippy cup.

Each hour was a new princess, a new dress, and a new adventure. Out of necessity, really. Her dresses were thrown in the washer repeatedly until I introduced the "Princess Bump."

What? You've never heard of the Princess Bump before? In consists of a huge knot tied in the back of her dress to keep it out of tinkle's trail.

If I want anything accomplished in this house all I have to do is throw a "Princess" in front of a desired word and it works better than fairy dust. You want pig tails? Call them Princess Piggies. You want her to wear her warm coat out when it's cold? Call it her Princess Coat. You want her to wear a specific shirt? Call it the Princess Dress Shirt. You want her to go to a sitter's house? Call it Princess ______'s castle.

I never thought I'd get into the whole princess thing with her. Honestly, how could you not? It is so adorable.

Vote

2011-03-20T20:01:00.001-05:00

It's that time again people!

Click HERE to vote for Shumway Van & Hansen as the best law fir in Utah County. It's on page 2.

Make us proud for the second year in a row.

Stud

2011-03-20T20:01:00.000-05:00

Before & After

2011-03-20T20:00:00.000-05:00

I've been taking some photography classes over the past couple of months. I've learned a great deal about photography, of course, but I didn't expect that it would force me to dig deep down and learn about myself as well.

Here is one thing that I've learned. I don't mind that I can tell my face is aging (ok, so there are times I do, BUT I am starting to appreciate it.) I mean, it's going to happen right? Why not just embrace it as well as invest in all of the creams and wrinkle reducing nonsense right?

Before Photoshop

After Photoshop

Sure, the second one is nice. I almost find more beauty, though, in the first one.

Staci

2011-03-20T19:59:00.002-05:00

I feel old admitting that I remember the day I found out Donna was pregnant with Staci. I remember it so well because my mom was pregnant, also. I was 10 and thought it was so cool that my mom, and my best friend's mom, were pregnant at the same time.

Thank you Staci!

I Heart Food Traditions

2011-03-20T19:59:00.000-05:00

Most of the traditions that we have started with our little family have something to do with food. I am completely OK with that.

The heart shaped pizza; I make it every year. Without fail I am made fun of every year. It wouldn't be the same without it. Either one.

This year I switched it up a little bit and made a deep dish pizza with heart shaped pepperonis. SO good.

Brooklyn loves helping me make cookies. She thinks she is so sneaky when she slips a massive piece of dough into her little mouth covering her lips with flour. It's great.

The best part is the look on her face when we decide to deliver our sweets to the neighbors. She doesn't love it.

Build a Bench

2011-03-20T19:58:00.000-05:00

A few neighbor girls and I decided to try our hand in carpentry.

We had some great instructions thanks to Ana White.

We purchased the necessities.

After a whole long dragged out process we finally had our wood all cut and ready to go. A special shout out to the worker at Home Depot who couldn't disappoint 6 cute girls and stayed at work until 2a.m. cutting our fun little project.

With some borrowed tools,

a lot of determination,

some great team work,

and a happy face, I was able to assemble the bench in 30 minutes.

Korbin's First Haircut

2011-02-16T23:38:00.000-06:00

His hair was just too out of control.

I could not help myself.

It draped like 3 inches off his ear. Let's not even talk about his duck-tail.

He's still got the awesome wiggly and "on the go" movements going on. Ouch!

Tada!

(deep inhale and long drawn out sigh) Much better.

Wrath of Brooklyn

2011-02-16T23:37:00.000-06:00

I had on a cardigan and a long sleeved shirt. It still hurt like a motha'.

I told her she had to take off her princess dress and put on pj's. She got mad and started flipping out of control, kicking and screaming. So I picked her up and cradled her tight. She looked me in the eye while opening her mouth as wide as possible and closed her chompers right down on my arm.

We both sat and cried pathetically on her bed holding each other tight. It was so dramatic I don't think she will ever do it again.

He's Goin' Places

2011-02-16T23:36:00.001-06:00

All of the grunting, groaning, squilling, and raspberry-like noises paid off for Korbin the other day.

My little man can roll.

My Christmas Gift

2011-02-16T23:36:00.000-06:00

For Christmas this year I unwrapped an apple.

I thought I knew what it meant.

I was certain I was getting one of these. I was wrong.

It meant we were going here...

...to see this!

He knew I'd LOVE it!

And while we were there, he said we'd be able to go here,

...here,

...and maybe even spend some time here (Canal Street). Oh man, I couldn't wait!

We love the show 30 Rock, so I asked him if we could maybe go see this.

He reassured me we could go and even promised me an awesome elevator ride to the top.

I wanted to make sure to see this while we were there (I can check it off my list!).

Going to see this...

...and this, was a no brain-er.

This was just an extra.

"Can we take a not so romantic stroll in Central Park?" I asked.

"Sure!" He replied.

"What about about sharing a romantic kiss in the middle of Time Square. Can we do that?"

Of course I was worried about how we'd know where everything was. He didn't seem to be worried.

He promised me all sorts of good cuisine.

If you know me at all you know I got really excited about that.

My mouth was watering just thinking about it.

I could just picture us eating our selves sick (this place is called Max Brenner and it is a MUST).

And then waking up the next morning and doing it all over again at some famous deli.

I couldn't wait to embarrass Regan doing random things,

...and buying overpriced treats from bums,

...and taking dares from friends.

I couldn't wait. My mind went wild just thinking about it all.

Chuck-E-Cheese

2011-02-01T15:10:00.002-06:00

Brooklyn loved it.

So did her dad (but not necessarily the pizza).

Korbin was predictable.

I was, well, awesome.

We tried winning as many of these as we could...

...so that Brooklyn could redeem them for a bunch of cheap crap.

$10 in coins for 3 mini tootsie pops, a mini package of pop rocks, and 3 play bracelets. I think I'll go to the Dollar Store next time. Either that or Incredible Pizza Company in Draper. Ever been there? It's awesome.

Big Kid Soccer

2011-02-01T15:04:00.003-06:00

Pretty sure I only went to one game to support my husband. Feedings every 2 hours, and a fearless 2 year old who wanted to play soccer with her dad SO bad that she cried the entire game, caused me to opt out.

Sorry Regan.

Peace Out 2010!

2011-01-31T17:10:00.002-06:00

In case you haven't noticed, I am in love with my dutch heritage. I love learning about it.

Growing up my dad used to make us dutch cuisine. It wasn't until I was older that I appreciated this tradition.

Here we are getting ready to make some noise. Does anyone else bang pots and pans? Some of our neighbors thought we were crazy.

Our neighbor had been storing these suckers for years waiting to liven up a dull party. Well, it worked. Nearly gave me a heart attack watching Regan light them off our back porch.

Happy New Year!

V. I. P

2011-01-29T02:04:00.002-06:00

It is important to me, and hopefully every parent, for my children to feel important and special. Bringing Korbin in to our little family has rocked Brooklyn's little world. In order for us to help her feel special we have little activities that we do with her to make her feel important.

Yes, Regan is roasting a marshmallow on our stove. Making smore's at home is one of Brooklyn and Regan's favorite things to do together.

Sista, Sista!

2011-01-09T23:07:00.002-06:00

God did not bless me with sisters. To make up for it he decided to give me the coolest sisters in-law ever. Michelle joined our family at a very pivotal time in my life. She married my oldest brother when I was a sophomore in high school. I probably bugged her really bad because I didn't want to leave her side. I was so excited to have a sister!

Seriously So Blessed

2011-01-09T23:04:00.002-06:00

This little guy is so awesome. Honest.

He is my little buddy. I love this picture because he pulls this face so much.

He is so easy going.

I really feel like we are going to be good friends.

I already feel like he loves me, and knows who I am.

I love this little guy.

I'm seriously so blessed to have him.

Allred

2011-01-09T23:00:00.001-06:00

We met this family during law school in Kansas and have become great friends. We actually moved in to the same neighborhood and our girls are little buds. They were both born in Kansas so go figure, right?

Spittin' Image

2011-01-09T23:00:00.000-06:00

Remember Olive?

Well she is all grown up now and she is a spittin' image of her grandma. I went to jr. high and high school with her mom, Kiersten. We were in band and played sports together. If it weren't for me Kiersten might still have a 1 inch hair cut with 5 inch bangs. Just sayin'.

Greensides

2011-01-09T22:59:00.000-06:00

One of the best things about both of my professions is that it helps me stay in touch with friends. I went to high school with Megan and her husband Russel. I hadn't seen them in years and it was great to catch up.

Miyake

2011-01-09T22:57:00.000-06:00

Adorable children. Darling little family. After a few bribes we finally got some smiles!

Hart

2011-01-09T22:56:00.000-06:00

You know you've got a good friend when you don't talk in years and can pick right back up where you left off. This is one of my childhood best friends, Steph, and her crazy awesome family.

Christmas in Arizona

2011-01-06T23:13:00.000-06:00

We were blessed to be able to spend a portion of the holiday season in 70 degree weather with Regan's family.

If you've been following this blog for a while you know that Regan's parents like to do some sort of competition mirroring a recent game or reality TV show. This year it was Minute to Win It.

In this picture we were to put the cans in order of how many mini-bells were in each can. It is harder than it sounds for sure.

Here is Brooklyn shaking her booty trying to get all of the ornaments to fall out of the box.

The object of this game was to blow the cards to the end of the table only allowing one side of the card to hang off the edge.

Regan was the only one to accomplish this task.

We also participated in a fun family volleyball game. Surprisingly, this was one of our favorite activities we did all week. If you look close you will be able to see my mother-in-law looking "street." She is totally trying to look intimidating while flashing the peace sign upside-down. Awesome.

I'm not sure how this is the only picture I got of these two because they were inseparable the whole entire time. I love that Brooklyn is old enough to play with her cousins. She had a blast with all of them.

On Christmas eve I was thinking how it didn't feel like Christmas to me. I know it's not all about the presents, tree, decorations, and snow, but they really do add to the spirit of Christmas. Right as I was thinking that Regan's brother walked in the door carrying this perfect little Christmas tree. I'll be honest. I choked up. I was so excited that we would have a tree on Christmas.

It's hard to see but this is Brooklyn admiring the tree. She was SO excited to help decorate it.

Brooklyn was totally excited with her dishes and play food. She kept trying to feed me the meatloaf (which was actually the hamburger patty) all day. Little did she know what was waiting for her at home.

A kitchen!

We had a very Merry Christmas. Thanks Brad and Marianne for a great trip!

Kearns Olympic Oval

2011-01-06T23:10:00.000-06:00

We went ice skating with my family at the Kearns Olympic Oval.

I totally tried to hold Regan's hand and be all cute while skating. It absolutely did not work. I'm no good at skating and would have brought him down real fast. I needed both of my arms spread out for balance with knees bent just to stay up.

Brooklyn surprised me because she knew exactly what I was talking about when I asked her if she wanted to go ice skating. She said "YEAH! On your feet and you go!" She had a blast. She tried so hard to not use the walker. She ended up on her knees crawling around thinking she was way cool.

Thanks mom for watching Korbin so I could be reminded of why I am not a figure skater.

Ward Christmas Party

2011-01-06T23:09:00.001-06:00

Each table had all of the food prepared and ready to go.

What does Brooklyn go for? The brownie, of course.

She's a goof.

We made it to the North Pole, but she didn't get to meet Santa. Someday Brooklyn, someday.

O Christmas Tree

2011-01-06T23:08:00.000-06:00

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, much pleasure doth thou bring me!

For every year the Christmas tree, brings to us all both joy and glee.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, much pleasure doth thou bring me!

P.S. Brooklyn is in charge of plugging it in every day. She thinks that is tho coolest chore ever.

What do Mormons do in Vegas?

2011-01-06T23:04:00.000-06:00

I'll tell ya.

We shop for 3.5 hours at the outlets but only make in to 3 stores because of these crazy youngsters.

We take pictures in front of the pseudo Eiffel Tower.

We watch the water show at Caesars Palace. Actually, we might watch it a couple times and thoroughly enjoy it every time.

We try the newest breed that the M&M store has to offer. The pretzel M&M's aren't half bad.

We pose with the M&M's because they don't expect a tip.

We think we are original when we pose just like them.

This guy is our favorite.

Hmm. I've got nothin'. Wait, we pretend we're drunk and get in a fight with the big blue guy? Lame, sorry.

Lastly, we show up to the party in our family friendly Honda Pilot. That's just how we roll.

This picture is great for many reasons: 1) the fact that she is sleeping in the car in the first place is amazing; 2) the gem that she must have been saving for later on her forehead is priceless; and 3) the iPod that slipped out of her precious little fingers as she fell asleep is waiting for her when she wakes up.

A special thanks to our kids for being angels the whole way there and the whole way back.Cross your fingers for a repeat on the way to Arizona.

Things I've learned

2011-01-06T23:01:00.000-06:00

I learned a few lessons over Thanksgiving weekend. We'll start with the most important.

Being a Utah fan has sure paid off the past few years.Sure, the blackout game against TCU was a heart breaker, but we've moved on.

Brooklyn is fearless. It was freezing outside, but she didn't mind at all. Thanks for the fun ride grandpa!

Grandma's are awesome to have around.

Regan is a dork. Ok, so I already knew that.

Some people never grow up...

and some grow up too fast.

Although the war between the Red and Blue separate at times, the blue, green, and gold team unites.

Genealogy can be quite fun when surrounded by a bunch of girls.

I become more and more like her every day.

There was a different kind of "stuffing" introduced this year. Brooklyn shoved 2 golf balls down her shirt and walked around proud as can be.

2 year olds can share on their own terms.

If you have a passion for golf, nothing can stop you from going. Not even the bitter cold.

One should never approach Brooklyn while she is hiding. The aroma is strong enough to wilt plants.

I shouldn't always ignore Brooklyn when she is yelling "I'm stuck, Mamma!" because sometimes she really is.

If at any second I start to relax because the level of noise has gone down, I should grab a mop and bucket and search for Brooklyn. She loves my make up and thinks she looks beautiful.

Thanks Vandermyde family for a great Thanksgiving.

More Projects

2011-01-06T22:58:00.000-06:00

We scored these awesome dressers from Regan's grandma. They were her boys' dressers from when they were kids.

Despite Regan's pleas to leave them as is, the orange color had to go.

I was able to finish them all in 1 day.

I had some leftover paint and stain, so it didn't cost me a dime to give them a new look. The green one is in my salon, the cream one is in Brooklyn's bedroom, and the red one is the basement waiting for me to organize all of my random craft supplies.

Pictures

2010-11-17T00:34:00.002-06:00

I set out to take some pictures of the kiddos today.

Unfortunately it was too windy for the little guy so this is the only decent picture of both of them.

This chair was made by Regan's grandma's grandpa.

Grandma Dorothy remembers sitting in it as a little kid.

This is what Brooklyn did when I told her to smell the flowers.

She is such a special little girl.

We love her. I can't believe she is 2.

All Hallow's Eve

2010-11-16T23:47:00.002-06:00

Here is how our Halloween weekend went down.

We visited Dad at work and got some candy.

We won a costume contest at the country club's Halloween party.

So, we got some more candy.

Just what we needed. I wish there was a prize for the most dedicated dancer as well. There was a dance floor set up with fun music playing. Brooklyn was the only one out on the floor for a good 20 minutes shaking her tush. In order to leave, I had to literally drag her off the floor kicking and screaming...to the beat of the music.

We visited Grandma Duckworth and her scary mask, and got some more candy.

We got all ready and excited to go out by practicing our sweetest "Trick or treat!" This landed us some more candy.

While we were out we hooked up with some other cowboys.

Unfortunately, we didn't get a good shot of either of them. 2 year olds are fast!

Cousin Mason came along too. Neither of them knew what it meant when we said "Just take one."

They just kept loading up their bucket until we physically removed them from the porch. It was great.

That is how we ended up with all of this in just 5 houses.

Thanks Brandon and Lindsay (and grandma and grandpa who are not in any of the pictures) for coming along!

P.S. When I tell Brooklyn that she can't have any candy she will say "Trick or treat!" Really? How can I say no to that?

My Crush

2010-11-07T23:21:00.002-06:00

My grandma gave me the cutest card before Korbin was born. It read:

"You're going to fall in love again with someone's tender charms!

You're going to be demolished by a pair of little arms!

Yes, you're going to fall in love again. The signs are very clear!

Get ready for a brand-new crush...

as soon as baby's here!"

This is so true. Sorry Regan! I've got a new man in my life.

The Story

2010-11-07T22:15:00.003-06:00

Normally I wouldn't post something like this on my blog. However, I think it is a crazy story and that some of you might be interested in reading it. So, here you go!

September 20th I started having contractions.

I started keeping track of them because they were quite frequent.

After 3 hours of contractions that were 3 minutes apart, I woke up Regan. It was 2:00am. We packed our bags, grabbed the car seat, arranged plans for Brooklyn, and were on our way to the hospital.

We may have taken a slight detour but eventually made our way over.

Psych! It was clear that not a single person at the hospital thought I was in labor. To be honest some of them were quite rude. I just had no idea that 6 hours of consistent contractions could be "false labor." I guess you learn something new every day.

They sent us packing with a bright yellow piece of paper stating not to come back until my contractions were 5 minutes apart for 1 hour and strong enough that I couldn't talk through them. Don't worry, they drew a big circle around that part too.

Fast forward through the longest 3 weeks of my life to October 4th. I had a contraction at 1:45pm. I had another one 20 minutes later. They were different. After 4 or 5 texts to Regan, and a few phone calls I finally got a hold of him at around 3:00pm. He got an ear full for sure.

He came home around 5:30pm. The contractions were about 15 minutes apart and were getting stronger. Once again we packed our bags, grabbed the car seat, arranged plans for Brooklyn, and were on our way. We decided that instead of taking a walk around our neighborhood to keep the contractions coming, like I had originally planned, we'd better go somewhere closer to the hospital.

We walked around Fashion Place Mall stopping every few minutes for a contraction. I tried on some Uggs at Nordstrom and then we grabbed a bite to eat at Chick-fil-A. As we were finishing up our dinner, out of nowhere, I had a pretty intense contraction.

"Lets go" I said to Regan. "If that is any indication of how the next twelve hours are going to be I want an epidural right now."

He was skeptical. He had been documenting the contractions on his phone so I asked him to read me the times. 8 min, 2 min, 6 min, then 3 min, etc. As far as I was concerned it rounded out to be 5 minutes and I was calling the shots.

We arrived at the hospital and I knew this time was different. As we were checking in to the front desk they printed off a hospital bracelet for me. Apparently they had paid attention the contraction that I totally played up as we were signing in.

As you can see I was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. I was answering some of the nurses questions when I felt a huge gush. Seriously? I would have had to buy those Uggs had this happened 30 minutes earlier. Dang. I totally wanted them.

The nurse checked me right after my water broke and I was at a 4+.

The next contraction was crazy. It was amazing the difference of intensity from before my water had broke. After demanding the anesthesiologist be called in immediately, I pulled Regan's face in close to mine and said "Regan, I am scared of these contractions. They hurt me." He lovingly tried to comfort me but deep down he thought I might die.

I had one more contraction before the anesthesiologist arrived. I signed the papers and he started doing his job. The next contraction was insane. All of the sudden I couldn't not push (double negative intended). It was like my body had a mind of it's own. "I can't NOT push, I can't NOT push, I'm pushing!!!" I yelled. The nurse explained that I might just be moving very fast. I wasn't really sure what she meant. It took 12 hours of intense labor after my water had broke to have Brooklyn.

She checked me and, sure enough, I was a 10 and she could feel the head. What the? I had been there for 30-40 minutes. I was so angry that I had gotten the epidural at this point. I just thought I was going to have to have monster contractions for hours. Turns out I was just in transition.

It was crazy. Regan and I kept looking at each other and I could tell we were feeling the same thing (minus the contractions). We were excited, confused, surprised, and could just feel the addreniline rushing through our bodies.

The nurse called in for a table and a doctor. "Has the epidural kicked in yet?" the doctor asked. "Don't worry, my big toes are numb" I said. I started pushing during the next contraction. It took around 4 contractions for him to get here. The epidural kicked in after he was born and I didn't feel anything for about 4 hours after.

I finally was able to hold the little guy after waiting a whole 9 months.

I really wish I knew what Brooklyn was thinking the first time she met him.

Our little family of 4 was finally together.

Barnum & Bailey

2010-10-22T16:14:00.002-05:00

97.1 was giving away University of Utah football tickets. We rushed over to the VW dealership to try our luck in winning them.

We didn't end up winning tickets to the game but landed some sweet tickets to the circus. It was no secret that I was way excited about this.

Brooklyn went crazy. Literally flapping her hands and jumping up and down. She LOVED it.

In fact she still has dreams about it every now and then. She will wake up from a nap saying "Baby elephant, tigers RAAAARRR, see them Mamma!"

Big Girl Bed

2010-10-22T16:12:00.002-05:00

It is funny how much I stress over change. I lost so much sleep trying to figure out the perfect time to transition Brooklyn out of the crib and in to a bed.

All for nothin' I tell ya'. She thought it was the coolest thing. There was a raging thunderstorm that woke her up a couple of times her first night. Other than that, it has been smooth as butta'.

Although we made some progress, we still needed to free up the crib. I, once again, lost sleep over this decision. If we moved her down the hall, how will I hear her if she cries (seriously, Annie, how could you not hear a 2 year old scream?). She will be so far away! It had to be done.

We painted her room purple.

Then worked so hard...

that we broke a sweat.

It was all worth it. She loves her purple room.

Notice how high the bed is? Yeah, she doesn't think she can get down by herself. It works out great.

Meredith Rocks

2010-09-23T16:19:00.002-05:00

My friend Meredith threw a shower for baby boy Duckworth.

Not one detail was spared. From the decor, to the favors, the food, to the games, everything was perfect.

Have you ever received a gift for your baby and thought to yourself "I totally wish that fit me!?"

Me neither.

She tried for hours to get her paws on one of these bad boys. I don't know how, but she finally succeeded.

Thanks again Meredith! Seriously, it was great.

Utah State Fair

2010-09-23T16:03:00.002-05:00

One thing we wished we would have done in Kansas is attend the State Fair. Just think about it for a second. Wouldn't that have been awesome?

Well, at least we made it to the Utah State Fair. And what fun would a fair be without fried food? We had a ft. long corn dog, funnel cake, fry bread, deep fried Snickers, and fried bacon covered in chocolate. My tummy didn't appreciate it later, but my taste buds sure did at the time!

Regan insisted on winning Brooklyn a prize. Good thing it only took him one try. When I say one try, I really mean it took him more than one but the worker let him keep "popping her balloons" and then tried to swindle him out of $20 at the end.

Good job Daddy-o. She loves her fishy.

Thanks Vandermyde clan for the fun outing! Too bad we have no pictures of us together. I HATE it when I do that. Oh, and a special thanks to Boys II Men for the flashbacks.

The Zoo + 10 Minutes of a Not so Secret Garden

2010-09-23T15:51:00.002-05:00

I took Brooklyn to the Hogle Zoo a couple of weeks ago.

She had a ton of fun sharing (stealing) snacks with Ashton in his cool red wagon.

Mary-go-rounds are her favorite. She picked to ride on the giraffe and giggled the whole time.

Did you hear the advertisement for $2 Tuesdays to a bunch of cool places around town? Apparently so did everyone else. We have a pass to Thanksgiving Point but had never been to the splash gardens. I got Brooklyn super psyched about going. When we pulled up and saw the line I couldn't believe it.

We stayed long enough for her to see the broken splash pad and to feed a fake duck a rock. Sorry Brooklyn! We'll go again before it gets too cold, okay?

Two Peas in a Pod

2010-09-23T15:47:00.002-05:00

An iPod that is.

I have to practically scream to get their attention. HELLLOOOO!

Cowgirl

2010-09-22T17:21:00.004-05:00

Regan has come to the conclusion that someday his little girl will ask for a horse...and he will buy it for her.

2

2010-09-09T16:24:00.011-05:00

This Lil' Lady downright ignored us when we told her not to do any more grown' up. She's done gone and turned two on us!

I tell ya she's a rowdy one. Hit them terrible two's a bit early if ya ask me. She's no bad egg or nothin', but she's a hard one to round up. Guess I better cowboy up 'cause I'm fixin' to have another one of these duckies pretty soon now.

Ev'n though we told her no more growin', we were all excited for the whole kit and caboodle.

This ho-down was sure to be a heap a' fun.

Why with all that grub n' all, you'd have to be off your rocker to not have a hog-killin' time.

I passed the buck over to Mr. Mariachi and let him do some deliverin'. In't he just as cute as a button? He sure could have used an extra, that's for sure.
There was all sorts of ridin' and playin going down.
I know, I know, we auta' get her some different friends. What a bunch of trouble. Coulda' made a fortune had we turned these saddle bums in.

I reckon most folks know what this is. Lil' lady done tried her darnedest to get them goods out. Hittin' as hard as that lil' left hand would let her.

N'fact they all tried and there aint nothin' they coulda' done to get their loot. We dropped that sucker down to the grass and let 'em go at it. That horse was cold as a wagon tire when they were done with it.

That darn wind kept blowin' our little lady's candle out. I recon' her wish will still come true, don't ya'll?

Mr. Mariachi decided to kick up a row and have this Lil' Lady take a big whiff of the cake.
She didn't seem too hot and bothered by it once she figured out what was inside. "MMmmm Mommy! Nummy!"
She was spoiled rotten by all the towns folk.
Even Mr. Mariachi was jealous. Aww...now wouldn't he just look so cute in that get-up?

We sure love ya' all to pieces Lil' Lady. You are a hoot to be around.

Lil' Lady and Mr. Mariachi were all tuckered out by the end of the night and decided to get some shut eye.

10 Years

2010-09-02T15:25:00.006-05:00

We attended Regan's 10 year high school reunion. I am totally slacking in taking pictures of events now a days, so I had to snatch this picture from Nicole. It's the only proof we have of actually attending. Thanks!

Dear Sally Rhodes,

2010-08-31T21:57:00.007-05:00

I feel as if I should make a formal and public apology to you for laughing when your child painted with his own feces all over himself, walls, bed, and bedding. I feel like if I am being punished because of my lack of understanding for you and your situation. I am hoping that this apology will lift whatever bad luck I have created for myself and stop the inner artist that has manifested itself in Brooklyn during the past couple of weeks.

Sincerely,

Annie

Baby Bump #2

2010-08-31T21:50:00.004-05:00

I am lucky enough to have a husband who enjoys photography. The best part is that he's really good at it too! Thanks Reg.

Cali-forn-I-A

2010-08-31T17:18:00.016-05:00

We were able to take a trip to L.A for my brother's baby blessing. I was nervous about the drive but Brooklyn did great.

We had great company both there and back.

The guys played some melon ball while the girls hung out with the kiddos in the pool.

We got crazy and went to a cool karaoke joint.

You rent your own room that is fully equipped with a flat screen, a sound system that has the option of changing keys to better suit your voice, and lights to set the mood.At least their moms think it's funny.

We played in the sand.

The boys went night golfing.

Regan took Brooklyn to a fake Disneyland.

Here is more cousin bonding going on.

We ate great food. The "Duck" is not for the name on the reservation. It is for the type of meat the brat was made out of.

We took some family pictures.

She loves kisses.
My two favorite people.
What a great picture right? He looks so good.There were birds in the sky. There was no way we were getting her to look at the camera.Usually she looks like Regan. In this picture I see me. I think it's the eyes.

My sister in-law McKenzie took our family pictures and these pictures of me.
Generally I don't like pictures taken of me. It's a totally different story when I am pregnant.
I can't get enough of it when I've got a baby growing inside of me. You'd think it would be the opposite.

30 weeks.

Here are the almost empty nester's. 6 down and 1 to go!

Brooklyn was terrified of the water and hated her feet being in the sand. It took grandpa a good 30 minutes to get her used to it. Eventually she loved it and wanted in!

Here are Brandon, Linds, and the Mason-ater.

This is Jonny Boy and Kenzie.

And this family right here is why we made the trek out to California. Thanks for being such great hosts!

Barefoot and...

2010-08-28T01:49:00.004-05:00

...pregnant.

I could take pictures of bellies all. day. long. I enjoy it so much. This is Kalee. She is a friend from high school. My favorite thing about this session was that all it took was an outfit change to have her go from cute little pregnant girl to crazy hot confident chick 'working it' in the middle of the street. Check out those high heels!

Small World

2010-08-28T01:41:00.003-05:00

This is an old college buddy of mine. We lost touch for a while, but it turns out we live only a couple miles from each other now. It was a blast getting to hang out with her for a couple hours.

New Places and New Faces

2010-08-28T01:31:00.003-05:00

I traveled up north for this fun family. They were gathering together from out of town for a double blessing and, of course, family pictures.

I'd just like to point out that I have awesome grandparents, but none of them drive Harley's and supply all of their grandchildren with do-rags. Way cool.

Cheese!

2010-08-28T01:24:00.004-05:00

Or not.

This little beauty was super bashful and wouldn't show her grin to the camera no matter what funny face I pulled. Oh, and trust me, I've got some funny faces! It took some real bribing, but we finally got some good ones.

I Do.

2010-08-28T01:16:00.005-05:00

Weddings are pretty fun. I was able to spend the whole day with the bride. With an early morning hair and makeup appointment, and a day full of events to capture I sure did feel like family by the end of the night.

Joni?

2010-08-15T20:54:00.008-05:00

These are our friends that we made while living the dream in Kansas. We were able to hang out with them on the 24th of July and snap some family pics as part of the festivities.

As I was planning and coordinating with Joni, Brooklyn heard me talking to her on the phone. Now whenever Brooklyn pretends to talk on the phone she starts out the conversation by saying "Joni?, oh HI!" I love it.

Brooklyn loved the tree swing. It took her a couple of tries to balance her weight on it but she kind of got it by the time we left.
No joke, the best ribs I've ever had. They were slow cooked to perfection.

Brooklyn now associates train rides with fireworks because we did both in the same day. She couldn't get enough of this tractor pulled train.

Speaking of fireworks, these were awesome. They were seriously right above us. The town shoots them next door to where Josh's grandpa lives. It was amazing. Brooklyn loved them but had to be held tight to feel safe. This picture is of the boats that were lined up to watch the fireworks.

Thanks Mikkelson family for an awesome 24th!

April and Leah

2010-08-15T20:45:00.004-05:00

I took pictures of these two about a year ago and had the opportunity to do it again a couple of weeks ago. It is so fun to see how much both of them have changed in that year. The third picture down is of April eating her first piece of candy. Leave it to me to give the kid candy when she's never had it before. Oops!

Poo Poo in the Potty

2010-07-19T18:12:00.004-05:00

Instead of taking a picture of the prize she left in the toilet,

I thought I'd take a picture of the prize she got for doing it.

Way to go Brooklyn!

iPhone4

2010-07-19T18:04:00.007-05:00

Sometimes I feel like I need to remind myself how great I am (and when I say myself I don't mean myself at all...I mean my husband.)

I stood alone in line at the apple store for hours in the dead heat and with swollen pregnant ankles. Why wasn't he with me? Oh yeah, because the draft party was going on at the Energy Solutions Arena which just happened to be down the street. How convenient.

Annie, you rock.

Editor's Note: Regan at least took Brooklyn with him to the draft party, where they both enjoyed a free hot dog and soft drink.

Vegas

2010-07-19T17:55:00.007-05:00

Regan's firm has an office in Vegas.

We decided to take a quick road trip down there as a family.
This was how we celebrated our 4th of July. Delicious roasted mellows and a great firework show put on by the neighbors.
We went to the Sigfried and Roy Secret Garden. They have all sorts of animals there. Brooklyn liked the dolphins...
...enjoyed the tigers...
...but loved this statue the most. Go figure!
One of our favorite shows to watch is Man vs. Food. We decided to check out one of the places featured on the show. Dinner for Regan consisted of 2 fried chicken breasts, 2 biscuits, bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese, mashed potatoes, spinach, all covered in a chipotle cream sauce.
It's called Hash House a go-go and it was wonderful.

28

2010-07-19T17:46:00.004-05:00

Regan turned 28. Here is how his birthday went down.

It started at Kneaders for the all you can eat French Toast. Have you tried it? It's a must.
With achy bellies, we went on a little drive to Eagle Mountain golf course for an always interesting game of golf. We played best ball against his parents. Brooklyn won.
We then made our way over to Maddox. This was my first time.
It certainly won't be my last.
The best banana cream pie I have ever tasted. Ever.

We then headed over to Regan's parents house for a quick nap and a BBQ. That was followed by games and a great firework show. Happy birthday you spoiled child!

RSL

2010-07-19T17:32:00.005-05:00

Regan took Brooklyn to an RSL game.

She apparently really likes the games and is well behaved when I am not there.

I ordered this scarf for Regan. I totally thought it was going to be delivered to my doorstep, but instead the package fit in our mail box. Regan is in charge of picking up the mail. Needless to say, he opened the package and thanked me for his father's day gift. Punk. It was for his birthday.

Apparently the firework show was pretty awesome. Regan said that Brooklyn was brave until the finale when she cuddled up to him.

Picnic for the Ducks

2010-07-19T17:24:00.004-05:00

While Brooklyn's cousins were in town from Texas, we decided to go on a picnic.

Even though all of the kids fed their food to the ducks, it was a lot of fun.
This is Michael holding Brooklyn up like it's no bid deal. The reason this picture is so humorous to me is because Michael and Brooklyn are only 5 months apart.
Preston thought he'd show off how strong he was too.
Brooklyn loves her grandpa!
Thanks to the self timer on my camera we were able to get a picture of the whole group.

Mormon Youth Choir

2010-07-19T17:08:00.004-05:00

My mom sang in the Mormon Youth Choir for many years. Everywhere we go she will recognize someone from the choir. It was a big part of her life.

A couple of weeks ago she got to participate in an alumni choir celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Mormon Youth Choir and Mormon Youth Symphony. My grandma Sharp and I went to support her on the opening night of the concert.

There was also a reunion organized for the choir held at This is the Place State Park. As if the girls weren't crazy enough, we decided to give buy them matching pink suckers.
Brooklyn got to ride on her first train. She loved it.
Regan volunteered to get a good old fashioned shave. He was disappointed when he realized the barber was only using the back of the razor.

This picture was selected for this post simply to show off Brooklyn's hair. She has some.

Doesn't Brooklyn look perfect?

Animal Farm

2010-07-19T17:01:00.004-05:00

Little miss Brooklyn loves the animal farm.

As you can see she is a brave girl. She loves to feed all of the animals.

We especially love when family is in town so we can share it with them.

They have an awesome daycare there. Just lock 'em up and come back when you are ready.

Our favorite part about the animal farm is getting a free ice cream cone after. "Delicioso!"

Ween-O-Rama

2010-07-19T16:54:00.006-05:00

We attended the annual Ween-o-Rama this year.

Brooklyn loves hot dogs, so she had a blast.

Confused as to what the Ween-O-Rama is? It's a celebration of the hot dog put on by one of our friends. There are raffles, hot dog themed art contest, a foosball competition, creative foods made with hot dogs, and plenty of friends to celebrate with.

Hit it up next year: http://weenorama.com/

Martin

2010-07-13T14:49:00.005-05:00

Tessa

2010-07-13T14:43:00.004-05:00

Observant

2010-07-13T14:38:00.002-05:00

Saturday in the Park

2010-06-06T22:38:00.019-05:00

I'm sure I must have gone to the Tracy Aviary as a child. I don't remember it at all though.

Uncle Tio and Aunt Mikki were in town, so we decided to check it out.

Brooklyn loves Tio and really likes to say his name.

Brooklyn couldn't quite figure out why there were gates and chains all over preventing her from being able to touch the birds.

My favorite part of the day was the ferris wheel.

You know, the one on Charlie?

Ashton volunteered to ride with this kid. He wasn't big enough to ride by himself.

Most of the pictures on this post are courtesy of Kenzie. Thanks!

Awww...

As if the ferris wheel wasn't fun enough, Brooklyn decided that she wanted to fly a plane. We told her it was too dangerous. Her argument was "well dad does it, why can't I?"

So we had to let her. She loved it.

Ever heard of Brugges Belgian Waffles and Frites? Allow me to introduce you to the goodness.

Their frites (fries) are out of this world; double fried to be extra crunchy. They have a ton of different mouth watering sauces to choose from as well.

I don't have the words to describe how good their waffles are. Just know that my mouth is watering looking at this picture. They are as authentic as it gets.

Bitter. ~~Beer~~ Waffel. Face.

Wood.

2010-06-06T20:42:00.007-05:00

Wood is the traditional anniversary gift for the 5 year anniversary.

Instead of the fairway Regan would have wanted, I took him to the Wasatch National Forrest.

We stayed at the Stein Erikson Lodge and felt totally spoiled.

They delivered these insanely delicious chocolates for us to enjoy. 1 for every year.

We are suckers for little touches like cold water bottles in the room. Weird, but true.

We took full advantage of the hot chocolate packets too.

I don't know what it is about big white fluffy robes, but I could live in them.

Ever tried the Glitretrind? It is a must.

Love Her.

2010-06-06T20:34:00.005-05:00

Smiles...

like this, make messes...
like this...
and this, tolerable.

Arrivederci!

2010-06-06T19:38:00.005-05:00

I thought this day would never come.

She kept pointing to it and saying "off!" After they cut it off, I let her play with it to see what she would do. The little bug tried to put it back on!
Luckily her skin doesn't look like this anymore.

They asked me if I wanted to keep her cast. After a good laugh, I tossed it in the trash where it belongs. NO THANKS!

She was walking crooked for a couple weeks, but her gimp is gradually going away.

Ashton

2010-05-18T16:47:00.007-05:00

This is Brooklyn's new boyfriend Ashton. Brooklyn came along for the shoot and fell in love. When we would turn a corner that would prevent her from being able to see Ashton, she would yell "Ashton, weraaooo(where are you)?" She's already keeping tabs on the poor kid.

Here are some things I learned about Ashton:

He loves to play with his feet.
His favorite book is "Oh, David!"
He is a baller and can play catch already.
He loves to smile.He refuses to wear shoes...

...and socks for that matter.

But, we made him wear them anyway.

Family Pics: Gotta Lov'em

2010-05-18T16:23:00.009-05:00

With the whole Duckworth family in town a few weekends ago, we thought we should get an updated family picture.

This one shot sums up the family pretty well. Bland, boring, and absolutely NO fun.

Here is Rory, Courtney, and their baby Hutch.
These are the newlyweds Robby and Jessica.
This was the day after Brooklyn broke her ankle, so we were lucky to get at least one smile out of her.
This is the infamous Auntie Kelly.
Here is Ryan (who is officially an Ironman), his wife Helen, and their kiddos.

Here are the ladies...
...the gents...

...and the Ma and Pa of the clan.

Utah Activities

2010-05-18T15:20:00.003-05:00

When we moved back to Utah I honestly thought that our first purchase would be season tickets to the Utah Jazz. It didn't happen.

Instead, we are Real Salt Lake season ticket holders. Ever been to a game? When I walked into the stadium I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. Watching soccer on TV flat out sucks. Watching it in person when you actually understand what is going on is pretty fun.

Here is Brooklyn showing off her hot pink cast. Often times she will point to it and say "off!" Trust me Brooklyn, I want it off too.

We will go in for a check up next week and I am crossing my fingers that it has healed so that we can get it removed. For now though, this is how she has been getting around; this, and being attached to my right hip. It's hard for us to picture her up and walking around but we sure are excited for it.
Brooklyn loves to help in the kitchen. When she sees me cooking or baking she says "help?" I decided to give her a bowl of flour and a measuring cup to see if it would keep her busy and she loved it.
We also have become quite big fans of Thanksgiving Point. There is so much more to do there than I ever imagined. Brooklyn loves going to see all of the farm animals. This was her first horsey ride. She kept yelling "wahoo!" in her random monotone voice until I taught her to say "YEEHAW!" and she loved that.

We went on a carriage ride with Grandma Duckworth, Auntie Kelly, and her "best cousin" Bella. We loved having Bella in town. Brooklyn loves to play with her and really enjoys simply just saying her name all day long.

Dear Arpil,

2010-04-28T15:26:00.020-05:00

We usually love it when you come around. You bring sunshine, flowers, and loads of fun. This year though, we are happy you are gone. You have been nothing but a downer and full of bad weather.

Because of you, I am one year older. Do you see those wrinkles?

If you hadn't of come around, we wouldn't have taken a very expensive trip to St. George. With a big fat expensive speeding ticket, disliked decor, ten years of hard work zipped in a plastic bag, a blue accent wall, a broken TV, and a daughter who didn't want anything to do with us when we returned to her, we could have done with out that mini vacation.

Because you came around, I decided that it would be fun to run a 1/2 marathon 4 months pregnant and untrained.

That lead to me passing out. "Can I get a round of applause for my wife?" Thanks Regan.

Because you graced us with your presence, we thought it would be fun to go to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point.

It's all fun and games 'til someone gets hurt, right?

We were so excited to finally buy our first grill because you were here. Well, thanks to your crazy wind storms that have made us all crazy, we can't find our grill cover. Not cool.

Oh yes, April, because you delivered such a hectic and crazy month, I forgot to promote Brooklyn in a contest I entered her in until the night before voting ended. She lost, and I blame you.

If it is not too much to ask, could you tell May to be better to us?

Thanks.

-The Duckworths

P.s. I'm sure you think your pathetic little holiday is creative and different, but I hate April Fools Day. Please put a big X on it for next year. Unless, of course, you can help me fool my husband again.

Google Search

2010-04-25T09:27:00.002-05:00

Baby Idol

2010-04-21T16:09:00.002-05:00

I've entered Brooklyn in a photo contest. The winner gets $4,500 worth of baby stuff. Because we are expecting again this could really come in handy.

If you have a second, please go vote. You can vote 1 time from each verified email address.

Here is the website:

http://www.971zht.com/pages/babyidol10/

When you get there click on the VOTE NOW button (you do have to fill in some info but it only takes a second...I know it is annoying but PLEASE do it. )

Brooklyn is # 471

Thanks!

Ps. Voting ends tomorrow (Thursday April 22nd) at 12:00 Utah Time

A Visitor

2010-04-04T10:26:00.024-05:00

Last night we had a visitor come to our home.As you can see, he left a little jelly bean trial around our house.
The trail started at the nursery...

...and ended at this.
Needless to say, Brooklyn was fairly happy with her cavity basket.

As of the posting of this entry, she had yet to put the suckers down.

2010-03-29T13:38:00.002-05:00

If you have a couple seconds, please vote for Shumway Van and Hansen, Chtd., as best law firm in Utah County:

http://www.heraldextra.com/bestof/

You can vote multiple times and don’t need to fill out the entire form. Thanks.

Lassig Wedding

2010-03-19T12:59:00.012-05:00

This wedding will be memorable to me for many reasons. However, there is one memory that is sweet and fresh on my mind. I arrived a bit early so that we could make sure to photograph the little kids before they messed up their hair and outfits.

When I arrived, the bride's hair and make-up lady had not yet arrived. With nothing but a bright blue pony tail holder and a super small flat iron, I was able to whip up a simple hair do that fit the bride's personality and went well with the dress. I don't think that she was aware of the fact that I do hair for a living, but she seemed relieved when I broke the news and could be of service. There is nothing more fun than to help a bride get ready on her wedding day.

Piano

2010-03-17T12:24:00.007-05:00

I haven't been so good at taking before pictures with my other projects. I find that funny because I am seriously obsessed at looking at them. I made sure to take one with this one though.

Before...
...and after!
Thanks Grandma Duckworth for the piano!

Brooklyn loves playing the "paano." She played for a while today. When she was done, she turned her little body around and said "done!" which meant for me to assist her off of the bench. I explained to her that she was big enough to get down on her own. She half heartedly tried and decided that it was too high for her.

Knowing that she is perfectly capable of climbing down from things much higher than this, I let her stay up there for a good 20 minutes. She cried and cried until she figured out the right words to use to get me over there. "Help, please." I walked over and coached her on how to let herself down. When her half polished little piggies touched the ground, she looked up at me with surprised eyes and laughed at herself. It was a great moment.

Pirates Cove

2010-03-17T12:16:00.006-05:00

We went to Pirate's Cove in Orem with some friends. Have you ever been? It is great family fun. Don't go on a Monday night, though. It was crazy busy.

Brooklyn learned how to say "aaargh" like a pirate. She did it all night. It was great.
She had a ride on her first merry-go-round.
She also figured out how to cheat the system. When a parent would put a coin in a machine and lift their kid up in it, Brooklyn felt left out. She would run up to that parent and say "up, please!" They couldn't resist and she would get a free ride.

Tradition...TRADITION!

2010-03-17T11:46:00.007-05:00

If you haven't seen Fiddler on the Roof at Hale yet, do. I have 4 family members in it, and it is quite splendid.

The Heart-Shaped Pizza; a tradition that I started last year. Brooklyn loves pizza. Well, she loves to say the word "pizza," that is. When we drive by any restaurant she yells "Pizza, YAY Pizza!"

Family contests; a tradition that the Duckworth family should dispose of but just can't. With how many cupcakes there were you would think we had the whole neighborhood over. There were only 8 of us.

Entry #1
Entry #2
Entry #3
Entry #4

Brooklyn's favorite.

"Do Your Turns"

2010-03-08T16:29:00.006-06:00

I LOVE pettiskirts. Don't you?

The thing is they cost an insane amount.

Not when you make them though! My sister in-law, mother in-law, and I braved the miles and miles of nylon chiffon, and were actually successful. Brooklyn likes to wear it and twirl all around in it.

All I have to say is "Do your turns, Brooklyn" and she will spin her little heart out.

This one is just because.

2

2010-03-06T11:09:00.003-06:00

Published

2010-02-25T14:04:00.006-06:00

My father, Ron Vandermyde, has just published a book.

It is a negotiating book (obviously) that can benefit people from all walks of life. To purchase, or to just check it out, click here.

He is offering a 10% discount if you purchase through his amazon estore. The code is VMCZAUAC.

Nice To Meet-chya'

2010-02-12T14:53:00.006-06:00

I was spotlighted in Relief Society this past month. They asked me to tell a little bit about myself. Here are the brilliant things I came up with:

I grew up in West Valley City, Utah. I am the middle child and the only girl in a family of 7 kids. In high school I was the Granite High School mascot, "The Granite Farmer." I also invented the work prejudicism my senior year (ask me about it).

I served as the student body vice president at Dixie College (for 1/2 a year thanks to Regan), where I attended school for 2.5 years. During this time I met my husband in Salt Lake on a blind date.

We moved to Kansas where he attended law school and I attended cosmetology school (hence the name Beauty and the Jurist). I love photography, running, baking, and doing hair (which I do from my home). I also love sneezing, hang nails, and my favorite treats are tootsie pops.

I must have forgotten that I am trying to make friends in our new area, not weird them out! Oh well.

Meet Neil

2010-02-12T11:41:00.005-06:00

I want to introduce you to Neil Walter.

Neil is our sister in-law’s brother and a republican candidate for the 2nd Congressional District seat currently held by Jim Matheson. Click here to check out his platform. Tonight at 7:00pm Neil will be speaking about himself and why he is running for Congress. The address is:

New Castle Pre-School
12257 South 800 East
Draper, Utah 84020

Hope you can make it!

What Have You Been Up To?

2010-02-09T14:34:00.008-06:00

I've been pretty busy myself.I've been hanging out with my cousin Mason while his parents swam in the "wawa" with dolphins,playing "boo" in our new house,
sharing some giggles on the Jazzy,
sneakin' in a little "na-night" while we go "bubye,"
eatin' some good "num nums,"

and gettin' in a little bit of "NO NO" for putting mascara all over my lips. Sorry, I thought it was lip gloss. They look the same to me.

Our Little Jazz Fan

2010-01-24T23:44:00.005-06:00

Check Brooklyn out on TV by clicking here. She's at the 36 second mark.